15mm/28mm MODERN WARGAMING BLOG: The next campaign we have planned is WW2. Following an airborne company through the Normandy campaign. To give more significance to the men each man has a name. The big picture will be dealt with on a large map, while each action will be fought at the platoon to reinforced platoon level.

Sunday, 12 May 2013

AAR - Know your enemy - Know your self - Know your terrain

Know your enemy CHECKKnow your self CHECKKnow your terrain EPIC FAIL

The insurgent arrives via hotspots and the top left corner, while UN entered from the bottom right. Can you see the Golden Holden?

Major Heidi Clare's strategy was to retake Malika City airfield and then concentrate on securing the international legation district. Her forces had now secured the airfield and were busy mopping up the Hotakistani's. The defences of the legation district had been abandoned early in the war and now a large no man's land had formed at the northern edge of the district.

The Hotakistani insurgents saw the rich pickings of NGO's, embassy's and international corporations in the legation district and so started infiltrating southward.

Heidi intended to retake the empty blocks before the insurgents appeared, but she was too late. She personally led the attack, sending in a platoon from her HQ company supported by a reinforcement team of Australian SASR. Pouring into the suburb from the north were two major units of volunteer foreign fighters, ready to die for the glory of destroying the hated frenghi.

The battle field was to be amongst the beautiful avenues of trees that give Malika City its nickname, The City of Parks.

The SASR advanced on the left flank and the HQ unit on the right flank. The insurgent commander was tense at first, he was very light on the ground and his reinforcements would take time to arrive, but his concerns were misplaced.

SASR take first building and engage two insurgent units near the jack-knifed truck. On the right the HQ platoon moves up to the wall near the overturned VW.

The SASR moved into the southern building and took the first compound. On the right the HQ platoon took the first park and identified the first rat hole that the insurgents were planning on using. Unfortunately, a second rat line was not spotted by the HQ platoon, this was to prove disastrous [hidden in the open by one of our cunning opponents!].

Both UN forces soon engaged the enemy, and the HQ ran into a fire lane of the enemy. This was the beginning of the tipping point.

The tipping point - insurgents assault the HQ platoon on the right and insurgents move up to a wall and stop any further advance.

The UN engaged the insurgent unit in the building on the far right and after pouring in a lot of fire neutralised the defenders. But before they could advance into the building the insurgents entered a position on the compound wall which made any advance into the building from the impossible [though SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE!!!], and to the rear of the building appeared a large group of insurgents hiding in the scrub. These insurgents charged into the UN fireteam on the far right of their front line. The UN fire team was overcome. Three of the UN soldiers were killed and a fourth captured.

Meanwhile, a squad of UN soldiers entered the central building, and the SASR exited the southern compound and attacked the insurgents in the avenue. The SASR on the roof engaged snipers from the M.O.F.U.C. building in the north, the enemy in the "blue balcony" building and assisted in the fire fight in the avenue.

The SASR were able to inflict significant casualties on the insurgents they could see. Unfortunately the "they could see" was reduced by the avenues of trees. A very nasty place for regulars to fight through. So the old Find - Fix - Finish Up could not be implemented.

The T-55 quickly despatched, but more importantly patient insurgents take up position to cover the front of the left building.

An insurgent T-55 arrived heading down the main road, but was quickly destroyed by an AT-4 from the UN HQ platoon that was positioned near the overturned yellow VW Combi. That was to be the last UN Hoorah!

Can you see the "Hidden" Hotspot in the top left of the map! I could not :-/

Heidi Clare moved up to direct her men, but from behind her appeared a squad of insurgents, who charged Heidi, her radio man and her sergeant. The fight was short and sharp, with Heidi and her HQ dying [I failed to spot a second hotspot, so my first EPIC FAIL]. The victorious insurgents were soon despatched and then the Weapons Squad moved in to neutralize the rat line (hotspot). Unfortunately, they failed to encircle the hotspot which allowed more insurgents to enter from that hotspot before it could be neutralised [my second EPIC FAIL].

The four survivors of the weapons team

To the north, a UN section assaulted the insurgents to rescue their captured mate. They were victorious and saved their man, but were in turn assaulted and all were killed sans one.

The UN in the central building soon suffered fire and took casualties. In the SE more fighting ensued and soon the UN realised their position was untenable and fell back with the SASR acting as rear guard.

LESSONS: Well, my lessons were, walk around the battlefield! Not seeing the hotspot was a nasty surprise. But the close combat by the right building was also nasty. The insurgents that laid down a firelane from the north end right-most building was also critical, it stopped the advance. The plan was to take the right-most building early and then move in the weapons teams. This was stopped by those defenders and the units in the scrub. Close combat killed more UN than anything else. STAY OUT OF MELEE! Also, the UN could not capitalise on their overwatch ability.Should have used SMOKE!Should have encircled the hotspot while attempting to neutralise itShould have...Could have...Did not!The Australians blamed the US HQ, the US HQ blamed the Australians. And the insurgents laughed :P